1. Technical Field
The present application relates to a method of operating a rotary beverage bottle or container filling or handling machine with a bearing with a cleaning arrangement in an aseptic clean room in a beverage bottling or container filling plant, and to a sealing arrangement for a pivot bearing device comprising a stationary part, a rotary part and a rotary distributor.
2. Background Information
Background information is for informational purposes only and does not necessarily admit that subsequently mentioned information and publications are prior art.
Such pivot bearing devices are used in such things as container, handling and filling machines for beverages, medicines, etc. Such a pivot bearing device provides a rotary connection between the rotary part of such a machine and the stationary part. The requirements for such pivot bearing devices vary as a function of the design of the machine.
In one important application, the pivot bearing device serves not only as a bearing for the rotary part of the machine, it also transfers liquid or gaseous products to the rotary part of the machine. This is performed with the aid of rotary distributors, by means of which a product supplied to the machine via line is passed to the rotary part of the machine, from where it is filled into the containers passing through the machine via a plurality of filling stations.
Additionally or alternatively, potential applications include those where sections of the machine that can also comprise rotary parts are largely isolated from the environment. This is done by enclosing these parts of the machine in a housing whose interior is accessible via defined paths. The interior of the housing can thus be kept practically germ-free, for example, to permit the aseptic handling and filling of beverage or medicine containers, for example. Such applications require and/or desire that the rotary connections are also designed such that no undesired substances can reach the interior of the housing.
Conventional sealing systems for pivot bearing devices often do not fulfill the required and/or desired specifications for this with respect to tightness and long-term resistance of the seal. Furthermore, the inspection and maintenance of conventional sealing systems is time-consuming and complex, and typically requires and/or desires the dismantling of the connection to determine whether a seal is still sufficiently functional. In addition, seal malfunctions regularly can be detected when contamination of the cleanroom area is well advanced, possibly having already rendered large portions of the containers handled therein unusable.